Comments on: INTERVIEW WITH MARGARET GEORGEhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672
author of Devil's BroodThu, 22 Feb 2018 05:04:00 +0000http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2By: skpenmanhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814526
skpenmanSat, 01 Apr 2017 18:25:27 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814526There is one more chance to enter the drawing for a free copy of Priscilla Royal’s The Proud Sinner; just post a comment today on my blog interview with Priscilla. http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=670
Now to start catching up on medieval events. March 24, 1603 was the date of death for the woman I always call (with a smile) “the only good Tudor,” Elizabeth I. She was sixty-nine and her death does not seem to have been a peaceful one. She is fortunate in that she has had two brilliant novels about her, which is more than many historical figures can say. Legacy by Susan Kay, covers Elizabeth’s entire life, and Margaret George deals with her last years in Elizabeth I, which I can’t resist thinking of as The Lioness in Winter. I highly recommend both novels.
March 25th in 1306 saw the coronation of Robert the Bruce as King of Scotland.
March 25th was also the birthdate of Blanche of Lancaster; 1345 is traditionally given as the year of her birth, but I’ve also seen it as 1346. She was a great heiress, and in 1359, she wed her third cousin, John of Gaunt. They had seven children, so she was usually pregnant during her nine year marriage, which is believed to have been a happy one. Only three of her children survived, but one would become the first Lancastrian king, Henry IV. She died in 1368, of what may have been the bubonic plague, at only twenty-one or twenty-two, and her husband grieved greatly for her. I tend to envision her as soft-spoken and fair, a lovely ghost who would haunt her husband’s memory with a rustle of silken skirts and a swirl of silvery blonde hair, an ethereal creature of moonlight, ivory, and lace, forever young. She inspired the major character in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Book of the Duchess, and was sympathetically portrayed in Anya Seton’s classic novel, Katherine. Katherine is, of course, Katherine Swynford, one-half of one of the more famous love affairs of the Middle Ages; she was governess to Blanche and John’s children and, after Blanche’s death, his mistress, and eventually his third wife, a marriage that scandalized his world and delighted all of us who are secret romantics at heart. Yet he requested to be buried next to Blanche.There is one more chance to enter the drawing for a free copy of Priscilla Royal’s The Proud Sinner; just post a comment today on my blog interview with Priscilla. http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=670

Now to start catching up on medieval events. March 24, 1603 was the date of death for the woman I always call (with a smile) “the only good Tudor,” Elizabeth I. She was sixty-nine and her death does not seem to have been a peaceful one. She is fortunate in that she has had two brilliant novels about her, which is more than many historical figures can say. Legacy by Susan Kay, covers Elizabeth’s entire life, and Margaret George deals with her last years in Elizabeth I, which I can’t resist thinking of as The Lioness in Winter. I highly recommend both novels.

March 25th in 1306 saw the coronation of Robert the Bruce as King of Scotland.
March 25th was also the birthdate of Blanche of Lancaster; 1345 is traditionally given as the year of her birth, but I’ve also seen it as 1346. She was a great heiress, and in 1359, she wed her third cousin, John of Gaunt. They had seven children, so she was usually pregnant during her nine year marriage, which is believed to have been a happy one. Only three of her children survived, but one would become the first Lancastrian king, Henry IV. She died in 1368, of what may have been the bubonic plague, at only twenty-one or twenty-two, and her husband grieved greatly for her. I tend to envision her as soft-spoken and fair, a lovely ghost who would haunt her husband’s memory with a rustle of silken skirts and a swirl of silvery blonde hair, an ethereal creature of moonlight, ivory, and lace, forever young. She inspired the major character in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Book of the Duchess, and was sympathetically portrayed in Anya Seton’s classic novel, Katherine. Katherine is, of course, Katherine Swynford, one-half of one of the more famous love affairs of the Middle Ages; she was governess to Blanche and John’s children and, after Blanche’s death, his mistress, and eventually his third wife, a marriage that scandalized his world and delighted all of us who are secret romantics at heart. Yet he requested to be buried next to Blanche.

]]>By: skpenmanhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814493
skpenmanFri, 31 Mar 2017 19:56:08 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814493I am sorry that my appearances have been so random lately, but I’ve had to spend a lot of time at my chiropractor’s. March was an active month, too, when it came to medieval events, so I am going to be very busy trying to catch up. Today I want to remind you all that there is still a little time left to enter the drawing to win a free copy of Priscilla Royal’s new mystery, The Proud Sinner. Just go to my blog and post a comment on the blog interview with Priscilla; as easy as that. And some of you may have missed my interview with Margaret George, who has a new novel out too: The Confessions of Young Nero. Now, on to medieval matters; since I’ve been absent so often, I feel that I owe you a lengthy post today and this one definitely qualifies!
On March 29th, 1461, the battle of Towton was fought, a battle that changed the course of English history. Below is an updated version of the post that I put up on Facebook a few years ago.
* * *
March 29th, 1461 was the date of the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. It was a Palm Sunday, and was fought during a Yorkshire snowstorm near Towton. Medieval chroniclers’ estimates of army size were usually in the realm of fantasy; it was not unusual for one to blithely report that 200,000 men marched into battle while they actually numbered in the range of 5,000. But military historians believe that the numbers at Towton were huge, possibly 40,000-50,000 on each side. It is impossible to know the numbers of the dead, though some historians think that over 20,000 men may have died that day, most of them in the rout after the Lancastrian line broke. A mass grave discovered in 1996 gave graphic evidence of the brutality of the combat. The death toll was so high in part because soldiers are always more vulnerable once they are fleeing; moreover, both sides had agreed beforehand that no quarter would be given. Below are two links that are of considerable interest, one about the mass grave found and the other offering a video of the battlefield. The first video discusses a soldier who died during the battle; I found it very moving to read about the actual wounds he suffered. It reminded me of Richard III’s battlefield wounds, now documented in gory detail since the discovery of his body. The second video is very dramatic, too.
http://www.economist.com/node/17722650
http://www.towton.org.uk/the-battle-2/
Towton was Edward of York’s bloody coronation, and he was still a month from his 19th birthday. I did not dramatize the battle itself, instead had the reader waiting with Marguerite at York to hear the outcome of the battle. But she was given a gruesomely vivid account of the carnage. Sunne, page 94-96 of the new edition.
* * *
“All is lost. The victory has gone to York.”
It was what she’d known he would say. And yet the impact was no less brutal. She gasped, drew icy air into lungs suddenly constricted, unable to function, and cried, “How? We had the greater army…How?” She was as skilled a strategist as any man, knew how to wage war as other women knew how to manage households. She knew battles were not decided by numbers alone. Yet now she found herself repeating numbly, “How could we lose? Ours was the larger force!”
“That did favor us at first, Madame. In the early stages of the battle, the Yorkists did give ground…But York was all over the field, in the thick of the fighting, and he held them, Madame. All day we fought, hacked at each other like madmen, and the dead…Oh, my God, Madame, the dead! So many bodies there were that we had to climb over our own dead to reach the Yorkists…only to find that they, too, were walled in by the bodies of the dead and dying. Never have I seen—“
“What of Somerset? Does he still live?”
He seemed unnerved by her interruption. “Yes,” he said doubtfully. “That is, I do believe so, Madame. We were able to escape the field at the last, when we saw all hope had gone…when the Yorkist reserves did suddenly appear on our right flank. The Duke of Norfolk it was, Madame; I saw his standard. We did fight on, but the battle was lost with his arrival, all did know it. We were pushed back toward the Cocke, into the marsh…and then our line broke, then the slaughter truly began!” He shuddered, not from cold, and then said bleakly, “My lord Somerset did charge me to give you word of our defeat, to warn you away from here. My lord Somerset said…said you must flee into Scotland, Madame. He said you must not let yourself or the king fall into the hands of the Yorkist usurper.”
“What of the other lords? Northumberland? Trollope? Exeter and Clifford? Surely they cannot all be dead!”
“We did hear the Earl of Northumberland was struck down in the fighting. Trollope, I do know to be dead. I know nothing of Exeter. It was a slaughter, Madame. Thousands must be dead…We did give the command before the battle that no quarter be shown and York was said to have done the same. For ten hours, Madame, the battle did last…ten hours! With the wind coming from the south and blowing the snow back into our faces till men found their eyes sealed shut with ice and our arrows were falling short and they gathered them up and used them against us…and the river….Oh, Jesus, the river! So many men drowned that a bridge of bodies formed for the living and it ran red for miles, like no water I’ve ever seen….”
* * *
Today I am posting additional passages from this scene.
(Omissions)
Marguerite was suddenly conscious of the cold again snow had seeped into her pattens until she could no longer feel her feet. Her skirt and under-kirtle were damp, too, clung about her ankles and trapped her in clammy folds as she struggled to rise.
She was already up before the abbot could offer assistance, but as he shifted the lantern, he inadvertently brought it up to her eyes. Night-blinded, she was caught in its glare, just long enough to step back only a treacherous icy glaze. She had no hope of preventing her fall, landed with jarring impact upon the base of her spine. The abbot cried out, dropping the lantern as he reached for her and, when his own balance went, almost tumbled down on top of her. The soldier wisely stayed where he was and coughed to cover the startled laugh that was as involuntary as a sneeze and as devoid of amusement.
Weighed down by her sodden skirts, unable to catch her breath, watching as the abbot floundered beside her in the snow, while her servant struggled to maintain his own footing and gingerly extended his hand toward her, Marguerite suddenly began to laugh, jagged bursts of strangled mirth, the sound of which nightmares are made.
“Madame, you must not give way!” The abbot, less timid than her servant at laying hands upon royalty, grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously.
“But it is so very amusing; surely you see that? I’ve a little boy and a sweet helpless fool asleep in your lodging and no money and I’ve just been told I no longer have an army, and look at us, my lord abbot, Sacre Dieu, look at us! If I do not laugh,” she gasped, “I might believe all of this were truly happening, and happening to me!”
“Madame….” The abbot hesitated, and then plunged ahead courageously. “You need not flee, you know. York would not hurt a woman, still less a child. Your lives would be safe with him, I do believe that. Stay here, Madame. Entreat York’s mercy, accept him as king. Even if you reach Scotland, what then? Ah, Madame, can you not let it lie?”
The lantern light no longer fell on her face; he could not discern her expression. But he heard her intake of breath, a sibilant hiss of feline intensity. Her hand jerked from his.
“Oui, Monseigneur,” she spat. “On my deathbed!”
* * *
It is hard for me to believe that more than three decades have passed since Sunne was first published. The work of twelve years, I am so proud that it has stood the test of time and is still attracting new readers, some of them not even born when I was first caught up in Richard’s story. My only regret is that Benedict Cumberbatch did not read a scene from Sunne during the reinterment ceremonies at Leicester Cathedral! He is best known for his acting career, of course, but he also happens to be a very distant cousin of Richard’s.I am sorry that my appearances have been so random lately, but I’ve had to spend a lot of time at my chiropractor’s. March was an active month, too, when it came to medieval events, so I am going to be very busy trying to catch up. Today I want to remind you all that there is still a little time left to enter the drawing to win a free copy of Priscilla Royal’s new mystery, The Proud Sinner. Just go to my blog and post a comment on the blog interview with Priscilla; as easy as that. And some of you may have missed my interview with Margaret George, who has a new novel out too: The Confessions of Young Nero. Now, on to medieval matters; since I’ve been absent so often, I feel that I owe you a lengthy post today and this one definitely qualifies!

On March 29th, 1461, the battle of Towton was fought, a battle that changed the course of English history. Below is an updated version of the post that I put up on Facebook a few years ago.
* * *
March 29th, 1461 was the date of the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. It was a Palm Sunday, and was fought during a Yorkshire snowstorm near Towton. Medieval chroniclers’ estimates of army size were usually in the realm of fantasy; it was not unusual for one to blithely report that 200,000 men marched into battle while they actually numbered in the range of 5,000. But military historians believe that the numbers at Towton were huge, possibly 40,000-50,000 on each side. It is impossible to know the numbers of the dead, though some historians think that over 20,000 men may have died that day, most of them in the rout after the Lancastrian line broke. A mass grave discovered in 1996 gave graphic evidence of the brutality of the combat. The death toll was so high in part because soldiers are always more vulnerable once they are fleeing; moreover, both sides had agreed beforehand that no quarter would be given. Below are two links that are of considerable interest, one about the mass grave found and the other offering a video of the battlefield. The first video discusses a soldier who died during the battle; I found it very moving to read about the actual wounds he suffered. It reminded me of Richard III’s battlefield wounds, now documented in gory detail since the discovery of his body. The second video is very dramatic, too.http://www.economist.com/node/17722650http://www.towton.org.uk/the-battle-2/

Towton was Edward of York’s bloody coronation, and he was still a month from his 19th birthday. I did not dramatize the battle itself, instead had the reader waiting with Marguerite at York to hear the outcome of the battle. But she was given a gruesomely vivid account of the carnage. Sunne, page 94-96 of the new edition.
* * *
“All is lost. The victory has gone to York.”
It was what she’d known he would say. And yet the impact was no less brutal. She gasped, drew icy air into lungs suddenly constricted, unable to function, and cried, “How? We had the greater army…How?” She was as skilled a strategist as any man, knew how to wage war as other women knew how to manage households. She knew battles were not decided by numbers alone. Yet now she found herself repeating numbly, “How could we lose? Ours was the larger force!”
“That did favor us at first, Madame. In the early stages of the battle, the Yorkists did give ground…But York was all over the field, in the thick of the fighting, and he held them, Madame. All day we fought, hacked at each other like madmen, and the dead…Oh, my God, Madame, the dead! So many bodies there were that we had to climb over our own dead to reach the Yorkists…only to find that they, too, were walled in by the bodies of the dead and dying. Never have I seen—“
“What of Somerset? Does he still live?”
He seemed unnerved by her interruption. “Yes,” he said doubtfully. “That is, I do believe so, Madame. We were able to escape the field at the last, when we saw all hope had gone…when the Yorkist reserves did suddenly appear on our right flank. The Duke of Norfolk it was, Madame; I saw his standard. We did fight on, but the battle was lost with his arrival, all did know it. We were pushed back toward the Cocke, into the marsh…and then our line broke, then the slaughter truly began!” He shuddered, not from cold, and then said bleakly, “My lord Somerset did charge me to give you word of our defeat, to warn you away from here. My lord Somerset said…said you must flee into Scotland, Madame. He said you must not let yourself or the king fall into the hands of the Yorkist usurper.”
“What of the other lords? Northumberland? Trollope? Exeter and Clifford? Surely they cannot all be dead!”
“We did hear the Earl of Northumberland was struck down in the fighting. Trollope, I do know to be dead. I know nothing of Exeter. It was a slaughter, Madame. Thousands must be dead…We did give the command before the battle that no quarter be shown and York was said to have done the same. For ten hours, Madame, the battle did last…ten hours! With the wind coming from the south and blowing the snow back into our faces till men found their eyes sealed shut with ice and our arrows were falling short and they gathered them up and used them against us…and the river….Oh, Jesus, the river! So many men drowned that a bridge of bodies formed for the living and it ran red for miles, like no water I’ve ever seen….”
* * *
Today I am posting additional passages from this scene.
(Omissions)
Marguerite was suddenly conscious of the cold again snow had seeped into her pattens until she could no longer feel her feet. Her skirt and under-kirtle were damp, too, clung about her ankles and trapped her in clammy folds as she struggled to rise.
She was already up before the abbot could offer assistance, but as he shifted the lantern, he inadvertently brought it up to her eyes. Night-blinded, she was caught in its glare, just long enough to step back only a treacherous icy glaze. She had no hope of preventing her fall, landed with jarring impact upon the base of her spine. The abbot cried out, dropping the lantern as he reached for her and, when his own balance went, almost tumbled down on top of her. The soldier wisely stayed where he was and coughed to cover the startled laugh that was as involuntary as a sneeze and as devoid of amusement.
Weighed down by her sodden skirts, unable to catch her breath, watching as the abbot floundered beside her in the snow, while her servant struggled to maintain his own footing and gingerly extended his hand toward her, Marguerite suddenly began to laugh, jagged bursts of strangled mirth, the sound of which nightmares are made.
“Madame, you must not give way!” The abbot, less timid than her servant at laying hands upon royalty, grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously.
“But it is so very amusing; surely you see that? I’ve a little boy and a sweet helpless fool asleep in your lodging and no money and I’ve just been told I no longer have an army, and look at us, my lord abbot, Sacre Dieu, look at us! If I do not laugh,” she gasped, “I might believe all of this were truly happening, and happening to me!”
“Madame….” The abbot hesitated, and then plunged ahead courageously. “You need not flee, you know. York would not hurt a woman, still less a child. Your lives would be safe with him, I do believe that. Stay here, Madame. Entreat York’s mercy, accept him as king. Even if you reach Scotland, what then? Ah, Madame, can you not let it lie?”
The lantern light no longer fell on her face; he could not discern her expression. But he heard her intake of breath, a sibilant hiss of feline intensity. Her hand jerked from his.
“Oui, Monseigneur,” she spat. “On my deathbed!”
* * *
It is hard for me to believe that more than three decades have passed since Sunne was first published. The work of twelve years, I am so proud that it has stood the test of time and is still attracting new readers, some of them not even born when I was first caught up in Richard’s story. My only regret is that Benedict Cumberbatch did not read a scene from Sunne during the reinterment ceremonies at Leicester Cathedral! He is best known for his acting career, of course, but he also happens to be a very distant cousin of Richard’s.

]]>By: skpenmanhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814353
skpenmanTue, 28 Mar 2017 20:11:48 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814353We often post fun quizzes on Facebook, along the lines of “Which medieval monarch would you have liked to be?” or “Which one of Henry VIII’s wives are you?” This one is somewhat different; if you take the quiz, they will tell you what your educational level is based on your answers. I scored 40 of 50, and they said that was a Master’s Degree level; I do have a law degree, so I guess that is close enough. In honesty, though, I would not have done as well if the questions had not been multiple choice! But here is the link for any interested in giving it a try. http://definition.org/can-guess-highest-education-level
Also, I’d love to hear reviews from British readers who have seen the start of Season Two of Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom. Do you like it so far? Is it being shown Down Under at the same time as in the UK? And does anyone know when it will be shown in the US? I miss Uhtred!We often post fun quizzes on Facebook, along the lines of “Which medieval monarch would you have liked to be?” or “Which one of Henry VIII’s wives are you?” This one is somewhat different; if you take the quiz, they will tell you what your educational level is based on your answers. I scored 40 of 50, and they said that was a Master’s Degree level; I do have a law degree, so I guess that is close enough. In honesty, though, I would not have done as well if the questions had not been multiple choice! But here is the link for any interested in giving it a try. http://definition.org/can-guess-highest-education-level
Also, I’d love to hear reviews from British readers who have seen the start of Season Two of Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom. Do you like it so far? Is it being shown Down Under at the same time as in the UK? And does anyone know when it will be shown in the US? I miss Uhtred!
]]>By: skpenmanhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814153
skpenmanWed, 22 Mar 2017 20:52:45 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814153I was horrified to learn of the terrorist attack in London today. My heart goes out to the victims and their families; ironically, it occurred on the anniversary of a terrible terrorist attack on the citizens of Brussels. There are people in our world who are truly evil. Please pray for the dead and wounded in London and for us all.I was horrified to learn of the terrorist attack in London today. My heart goes out to the victims and their families; ironically, it occurred on the anniversary of a terrible terrorist attack on the citizens of Brussels. There are people in our world who are truly evil. Please pray for the dead and wounded in London and for us all.
]]>By: skpenmanhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814066
skpenmanFri, 17 Mar 2017 18:19:09 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4814066Happy St Patrick’s Day to everyone. I hope all of you who were in the path of Tuesday’s storm stayed warm and safe and dry. It was not bad where I live; I ended up with a lot of tree branches on my front lawn, but the snow was washed away by the heavy rains that followed it and I never had to break out the lanterns and blankets. The injuries people suffered seem to have occurred after the storm: falling on the ice, car crashes, being careless with snow blowers, etc. How many more days till Spring?
Looking back, on the 11th of March in 1152, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the French king, Louis, were divorced and she returned to Aquitaine to start a memorable second act. It is interesting to imagine how different European history would have been had they remained married and she never wed Henry. Of course the thought of no Plantagenet dynasty always gives me a chill, for if I’d not stumbled onto Richard III’s remarkable history, I might still have been trapped as a tax lawyer!Happy St Patrick’s Day to everyone. I hope all of you who were in the path of Tuesday’s storm stayed warm and safe and dry. It was not bad where I live; I ended up with a lot of tree branches on my front lawn, but the snow was washed away by the heavy rains that followed it and I never had to break out the lanterns and blankets. The injuries people suffered seem to have occurred after the storm: falling on the ice, car crashes, being careless with snow blowers, etc. How many more days till Spring?
Looking back, on the 11th of March in 1152, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the French king, Louis, were divorced and she returned to Aquitaine to start a memorable second act. It is interesting to imagine how different European history would have been had they remained married and she never wed Henry. Of course the thought of no Plantagenet dynasty always gives me a chill, for if I’d not stumbled onto Richard III’s remarkable history, I might still have been trapped as a tax lawyer!
]]>By: Debbi DuBosehttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813995
Debbi DuBoseWed, 15 Mar 2017 19:44:49 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813995Sharon, Thanks so much for writing up this extremely interesting interview. I've just received my copy in the mail and I am so excited to start reading it! I'm also looking forward to your next novel being published, also. DebbiSharon, Thanks so much for writing up this extremely interesting interview. I’ve just received my copy in the mail and I am so excited to start reading it! I’m also looking forward to your next novel being published, also. Debbi
]]>By: Anita Harthttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813931
Anita HartSun, 12 Mar 2017 01:51:16 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813931I enjoyed getting to learn this about Nero. It was very interesting reading. I will enjoy reading more in the future. Thank you for sharing.I enjoyed getting to learn this about Nero. It was very interesting reading. I will enjoy reading more in the future. Thank you for sharing.
]]>By: Susan Appleyardhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813928
Susan AppleyardSat, 11 Mar 2017 21:15:48 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813928What a treat! One great author interviewing another!What a treat! One great author interviewing another!
]]>By: Carol McGrathhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813927
Carol McGrathSat, 11 Mar 2017 17:53:04 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813927I loved this interview. I cannot imagine writing about Nero but the research would have been fascinating. Margaret, you do chose those who have seriously bad historian Press. I still have Henry VIII to read but I look forward to reading both when I get time. Finally, it was lovely to meet you at the HNS conference and I look forward to meeting you again in Portland and, you, too, Sharon. Both of you are fabulous authors .I loved this interview. I cannot imagine writing about Nero but the research would have been fascinating. Margaret, you do chose those who have seriously bad historian Press. I still have Henry VIII to read but I look forward to reading both when I get time. Finally, it was lovely to meet you at the HNS conference and I look forward to meeting you again in Portland and, you, too, Sharon. Both of you are fabulous authors .
]]>By: Beverly Martinhttp://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813925
Beverly MartinSat, 11 Mar 2017 14:34:16 +0000http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=672#comment-4813925Excellent interview! It made me even more anxious to read this book! Thanks for posting!Excellent interview! It made me even more anxious to read this book! Thanks for posting!
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